Farming and the ageing process

[nick...]

I’m just 59 with continuous backache and knees.I do everything alone and have no help at all.I now use a local chap for repairs and servicing as I find it difficult to to be agile and difficult to get under things.I hate to be beaten but that’s life.I do struggle with things but just have to carry on.I’d like to continue to 70 but fear legislation and rules will finish us of first and ill end up growing nothing but grass and weeds and topping it all a few times a year.
nick...

 

[Phil P]

37 posts in and i'm still trying to figure out what bald ricks fingering is referring to?

Knowing @Bald Rick you probably don’t want to know

 

[ploughman1963]

58 shortly - had health issues last year which took a while to recover from but now feeling fitter than I did 12 months ago and 15kg lighter - which, if you are carrying a few extra pounds, take it from me, you DO see the benefit of losing them!!
Love my hedgelaying which can be a killer if its hard going, can still manage the tractors fine and managed to match the youngest son shovel-full for shovel-full whilst loading gravel into the wheelbarrow for an hour yesterday without collapsing afterwards

 

[vantage]

managed to match the youngest son shovel-full for shovel-full whilst loading gravel into the wheelbarrow for an hour yesterday without collapsing afterwards

You must have big barrows or small shovels in Shropshire!

 

[Becs]

Getting older is something that is on my mind a lot lately. Husband is 60 this year, I’m late 50’s. Next generation have other careers that they are enjoying and no possibility of any of them wanting to farm. Farm not big enough or productive enough to support another wage nor do we want to take on an employee. I’d like to be able to spend more time with my grandchildren whilst they are small but it’s difficult spending more than a couple of days away from the farm at a time as it means husband has to do my work as well as his own. We both ache a lot and, whereas a few years ago we could each easily turn a ewe over, now it takes the 2 of us to do it. I don’t ever not want to have some livestock around but I don’t want to be the sort of farmer who gradually lets things slide to the detriment of the farm as everything gets harder and harder. Trying to plan any sort of future retirement always ends in argument. As much as I love the farm the one thing I’ve never had much of in my life is time to do other things that I’d like to do, or even do absolutely nothing occasionally. If one of us became ill or infirm suddenly, the whole pack of cards would come falling down - it’s something that worries me a lot. I don’t know what the answer is - we can’t see the wood for the trees.

 

[ploughman1963]

You must have big barrows or small shovels in Shropshire!

Failed to notice the hole in the bottom - thought it was taking a while

 

[ploughman1963]

Getting older is something that is on my mind a lot lately. Husband is 60 this year, I’m late 50’s. Next generation have other careers that they are enjoying and no possibility of any of them wanting to farm. Farm not big enough or productive enough to support another wage nor do we want to take on an employee. I’d like to be able to spend more time with my grandchildren whilst they are small but it’s difficult spending more than a couple of days away from the farm at a time as it means husband has to do my work as well as his own. We both ache a lot and, whereas a few years ago we could each easily turn a ewe over, now it takes the 2 of us to do it. I don’t ever not want to have some livestock around but I don’t want to be the sort of farmer who gradually lets things slide to the detriment of the farm as everything gets harder and harder. Trying to plan any sort of future retirement always ends in argument. As much as I love the farm the one thing I’ve never had much of in my life is time to do other things that I’d like to do, or even do absolutely nothing occasionally. If one of us became ill or infirm suddenly, the whole pack of cards would come falling down - it’s something that worries me a lot. I don’t know what the answer is - we can’t see the wood for the trees.

Isnt this an ideal example of where a youngster who is looking to make a start could work alongside your husband? Share farming is very popular in NZ for situations just like this?

 

[nxy]

One of the big differences between France and England for the older farmer is that you cannot receive your MSA (i.e. like your UK state) pension and agricultural subsidy at the same time. You have to choose one or the other.

Many French farmers retire at the first chance to get the pension though in practise quite a few carry on helping the wife or son who become the "farmer".

It does mean though that in some situations the younger generation are given a chance a bit earlier either to farm in their own right or take financial responsibility.

 

[DrWazzock]

In 1953, when my grandfather turned 55 he left a dairy farm in Scotland, came down to Lincs and renovated a derelict farm. He set about clearing overgrown ditches with hand tools. The bank wouldn’t lend him anything so he borrowed the money from his vet. My dad and uncle joined him after a couple of years once they’d done National Service.
I’ve no kids but wouldnt mind branching out from this partnership at 52. In fact I’d be happy to do so at any age health permitting.
I don’t really feel any different to how I felt at 21 except now enthusiasm is tempered by realism that comes with experience.
My father worked well into his 80’s even despite nearly dying of health problems including cancer and heart trouble a couple of times in his last decade. And yes, the telehandler door was mysteriously detached one day. Never his fault of course. He was at one time, a HGV driving instructor in the RAF and his sergeant told him that even if he ran over the Lord Mayor of Lincoln on the pavement on the wrong side of the road he was never to admit liability. That’s advice he lived by for the rest of his life.

 

[czechmate]

We bought a second farm here off a guy just 2 years older then I am, as he retired slightly early, 5 years ago. He kept a paddock and a building so I still see him regularly. He has definitely aged a lot more than I have in these last 5 years

 

[Castle Farm]

I'm 76 this year and run my place single handed. Struggling a bit at the moment lambing (outdoors), but keep plodding on. Alternative is move into our bungalow in town next to other humans..no thanks.

 

[jendan]

At least he had far more ambition than to just give in to old age, and die dribbling by a window. Hats off to him.

"and die dribbling by a window" What a quote! and what have we to look forward to................and probably dribbling from both ends as well................................Im off outside to make the most of today!

 

[Bill the Bass]

Father is 77, this is the first winter he hasn’t done up in the mornings, he still comes out about 7.30ish - probably just to make sure I’m doing things right. Having said all that, he has been putting fibre cement sheets on a new roof on his own recently. We plan to lay 800 square metres of concrete this year, it will be just me and him.

He will have nothing to do with the office though, that’s all mine to muddle through - and I guess why should he at his age? I don’t mind older folk being around but they need to relinquish control of the business direction as early as sensibly possible otherwise you loose the optimism and ambition of youth and the whole industry can then get stuck in a time warp.

 

[Nearly]

52 and had 2 days 'off' with a trapped nerve in my neck. Lifted an axle into a van.

Son has stepped up and told me to get back inside.
He needs chances like this to come out of himself and have a go unsupervised.

I'd not want to give up at any point but my dad passed 3 years ago at 81. I'm sure there wasn't a day we didn't see him until the last 3 months.
He pottered around on the asthmatic Kramer which didn't have the power to snap a gatepost.
I hope to do similar.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Farmers don't get old they just wear out
For me, When I no longer enjoy what I do i will stop

 

[teslacoils]

Crap. 18 years until I'm average farmer aged. Back has "gone" three times this year. Ditto ankle. Looks like I need a new knee pretty soon. It's as if my body is just giving up. Last two years I'm just breaking really easily. Since I did my back properly about 5 years ago, I've been much less active, and I'm slowly fossilising. Quite worrying.

 

[manhill]

Isnt this an ideal example of where a youngster who is looking to make a start could work alongside your husband? Share farming is very popular in NZ for situations just like this?

sounds a good idea but I'd fear minefield of litigation if an injury was to happen due to a burst hose, not having a reversing bleepe r or anything that can fit the ' no such thing as an accident' religion.

 

[nick...]

Major issue here is the old farmers or farmers won’t hand farm over to youngsters because they are afraid of loosing it after working hard.i know plenty of people well into their 50/60s who are still not in charge and ageing parent got to have a hold of them all the time often when they are well into their 80/90s.i think it’s just a farming thing and if you have had control handed to you at a young age I suspect you may be in the minority.
nick...

 

[manhill]

Thinking of nicking one of those cycling helmets while the lycra boys are busy admiring eachothers shaved legs.
Might be a handy thing to have while working at height. Are they comfortable to wear for hours?

 

[delilah]

Three issues:
- taxation system
- the NHS
- modern machinery
Have created the perfect storm for UK ag; those at the helm being able to carry on at the helm for decades longer than they should do, to the detriment of their individual business and the industry.